Valve assembly



infested Mar. zo, 1945.

UNITED STATES PATENT: oEElcE VALVE ASSEMBLY Donald A. Stark, Willoughby Township, Lake County, Ohio, asslgnor to The Parker Appliance gclilxlnpany, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation oi' Application December 30, 1943, Serial No. 516,289

l Claims. (Cl. 251-84) The invention relates generally to valve structures and primarily seeks to provide a novel valve structure embodying a casing having a plurality of inlet ports and a single exhaust port through which liquid is to be discharged from a selected inlet port, or a plurality of exhaust ports and a single inlet port from which liquid is to be distributed to a selected exhaust port, a rotor for controlling the ilow of liquid through said ports, and novel port sealingV elements movable with the rotor and engageable over ports intended to be closed and eiective to seal said ports against passage of liquid whether the pressure thereon be directed from the inlet side or the exhaust or delivery side.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve structure of the character stated which may employ either a cylindrical or disk type rotor.`

Another object of the invention is to provide in a valve structure of the character stated a rotor having a portion placeable over a port or passage for closing the same, said portion having a sealing unit receiving surface recess and a pressure aperture communicating with the bottom of the recess, and a sealing unit removably and replaceably mounted in said recess and comprising a cup-like imperforate thin metal shell shallower than the depth of the recess, and a, sealing disk slidably mounted in the shell and of a thickness slightly less than the distance of the bottom of the shell from the outer extremity of the recess and having a pressure chamber forming recess in its inner face and an aperture extending through its outer face from said chamber, whereby dominant fluid pressure acting through the disk aperture will be effective against the inner face of the disk to tend to press the disk out of the shell, orl dominant iluid pressure acting through the rotor aperture will be eil'ective against the shell to ilrst press the shell against the diskA and then tend to displace the whole sealing unit from the rotor recess.

Another objectlof the invention is lto provide in a vsealing unit of the character stated a compression spring mounted in the pressure chamber between the disk and shell and constantly tending to seat the shell in the bottom oi the rotor recess and to force the disk out of theshell, and sealing means between the shell and the disk for sealing the unit against iluid leakage past the disk regardless of the position thereof in the shell.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more fully understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1` is a central vertical cross section of a valve structure involving the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the tion illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 the `valve structure includes a casing 5 which has a plurality of inlet ports 6 arranged in the same horizontal plane, and a single exhaust or delivery port I arranged in right angular relation to and centrally between the ports 6. The casing also is equipped with a cylindrical rotor receiving bore 8 in which is rotatably mounted a cylindrical rotor 9 having an elbow passage Ill one leg oi which constantly registers with the port 1, and the other leg of which is selectively presentable in registry with the ports S, or turned to the position illustrated in Figure 2 to completely close oi the valve.

With the ports arranged in the manner stated, it is possible. by proper manipulation oi the valve rotor, to receive fluid from a selected one of the inlet ports E and deliver it through the port 1, or to close oli the valve entirely. It is to be understood however that the port l may be employed as an inlet port, in which case the rotor may be properly manipulated to deliver uld from the port i through a selected one of the -ports 6, `or the valve may be entirely closed ofi.

The exhaust or delivery port i is. formed in a casing bore end closure plate II which is secured by screws I2 to the casing over one end of the rotor bore 8. The rotor is equipped with a non-metallic bearing ring i3 which engages the end closure plate in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1. At its other end the rotor is equipped with an actuatorstem I4 which projects through a bore in an end closure ring il which also may be screw secured to the casing. The rotor also has a non-metallic bearing ring IS positioned for engagement with the closure ring l5. The plate i I and the ring I5 are grooved to receive a packing ring I1 which serves to seal dat; valve rotor chamber against leakage oi fi d.

An indexing collar I8 is pin secured as at i9 on the actuator stem i4 and is providedV with four equi-distantly spaced peripheral notches 23, three of which register with the inlet ports 8, and the fourth one of which constitutes a shut' oi station. The ring I5 is provided with two diametrically oppositely disposed bores 2l in each of which a hollow plunger 22 is mounted. Each plunger includes a V-shaped nose for engaging in the indexing collar notches 20, and a compression spring 23 is interposed between each plunger and an abutment pin 24 extending across the respective bore and yieldably presses the respective plunger against the periphery of the indexing collar. Each plunger is provided with a U-shaped notch 25 which straddles the abut ment pin 24 and prevents turning of the plunger in the bore 2| in which it is mounted.

The actuator stem extension is reduced in diameter adjacent the main body of the rotor as at 23` to provide a chamber within the ring I5 wherein is mounted a packing ring 21 backed up by a retaining ring 23.`

The rotor has its external cylindrical surface provided with three sealing unit receiving recesses 29 simultaneously placeable in registry with the three inlet ports 6 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. A pressure port 3|) communicates between the rotor e1- bow passage In and the bottom of each recess 29 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The sealing units removably and replaceably mounted in the several rotor recesses 29 each comprises an imperiorate, cup-like shell 3l, which is shallower than the depth of the recess 29 in which it is mounted, and a non-metallic sealing disk 32 slidably mounted in said shell. It will be obvious by reference to Figures l and 2 that each disk 32 is of a thickness slightly less than the distance of the bottom of the respective shell 3| from the outer extremity oi the recess so that when the external surface of the disk which is curved to conform to the shape of the rotor bore 8 is in engagement with said bore, the inner face of the disk will be spaced slightly from the bottom of the respective shell in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Each sealing disk is provided at its inner face with a pressure chamber forming recess 33, and an aperture 3d opens through the external face of the disk into said chamber recess. A compression spring 3S is mounted in each pressure chamber recess 33, and constantly presses the external surface of the sealing disk against the rotor bore 8, thereby constantly tending to maintainY the slight space between the inner face of the respective disk and the bottom of the respective shell 3|. Each disk also is equipped with an annular peripheral recess 36, and a gasket ring 31 is mounted in each recess 36 and engages the inner wall of the respective shell 3| in a manner for sealing the shell and disk against uld leakage regardless of the position of the disk.

It will be obvious by references to Figures l and 2 of the drawing that by turning the rotor the valve may be completely shut oil in the manner illustrated in Figure 2, or the elbow passage I in the rotor can be presented for connecting a selected one of the inlet ports B with` the outer port 1 for delivery of fluid therethrough. It will be obvious that the indexing equipment I8, 2n, 22 will facilitate placement of the valve rotor in proper registry with the selected ports. and

also retain the rotor in` positions of port registering adjustment.

Whenever pressure through one of the ports is dominant and is directed against one of the sealing disks 32, pressure will enter the respective sealing unit chamber 33 through the aperture 34 and will act against the whole internal diameter or surface area of the disk 32 to place the same in sealing contact with the rotor bore 8. The eiective sealing pressure will be the whole area of the inwardly presented diameter of the disk 32 minus the diameter of the port -S over which the disk engages. Should pressure within the rotor. elbow passage lll be dominant, said pressure would act through the ports against the whole inner surfaces of the respective sealingV units, namely over the whole diameters of the shells 3|, assuming there is no leakage of fluid about the rotor 9 and into the sealing unit mounting recesses 29, first moving the shells outwardly to take up the space between the shells and the respective disks 32 and then forcing said disks in tight sealing contact with the rotor bore 8 engaged thereby. It will be obvious that should iiuid under pressure leak about the rotor and into the sealing unit mounting recesses it would act against the cup edge of each shell 3| and reduce the veffective area of each shell bottom against which pressure would act through the rotor apertures 30 to the extent of the thickness of the metal of the shell.

While the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3 Y as applied to a valve of the type employing a cylindriform rotor, the invention is applicable as well to valve structures of the well known disk rotor type such as are shown in U. S. Letters Patent Vto A. L. Parker, 2,209,136, issued July 23, 1940. In Figure 4 of the drawing there is illustrated a fragment of a valve structure of the disk rotor type equipped with a sealing unit embodymunicates with the pressure chamber 43 within the valve casing. The sealing unit is constructed and operates in the same manner hereinabove described and is generaliy designated 44 in Figure 4. The sealing unit is removably and replaceably mounted in a recess 35 provided in theV rotor 33, an aperture 4E being provided inthe rotor for admitting fluid pressure from the pressure chamber 43 into the recess in which the seallng unit is mounted, and the sea'lng unit disk being provided with an aperture d1 for admitting iiuid under pressure from the port 42 into the pressure chamber within the sealing unit. Since the sealing unit operates inthe same manner described in connection with Figures 1 to 3, further detailed description of the operation of this sealing unit is deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood that the details of construction of the cooperating partscan be variously changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a valvestructure, a casing structure having a flow passage therethrough including a port, a rotor having a portion placeable over said port lfor closing the same, said portion having a sealing unit receiving recess and a pressure aperture communicating with the bottom of the recess, and. Y

a sealing unit removably andreplaceably mounted in said recess and comprising a cup-like imperforate thin metal shell shallower than the depth of the recess, anda sealing vdisk slidably from the outer extremity of the recess and having a pressure chamber forming recess in its inner face and an aperture extending through 'its outer face from said recess, whereby when nuid pressure acting through the disk aperture is dominant it will be eiective against the whole diameter of Vthe disk to tend to force the disk out of the shell and into sealing contact over the port, and. when lfluid pressure acting through the rotor aperture is dominant it will be effective against the -bot' ing unit receiving recess Iand a pressure aperture communicating with the bottom of the recess, and a sealing unit removably and replaceably mounted in said recess and comprising a cup-like imperforate thin metal shell shallower than the depth of the recess, a sealing disk slidably mounted in the shell and of a thickness slightly less than the distance of the bottom of the shell from the outer extremityof the recess and having a pressure chamber forming recess in its inner face and an aperture extending through its outer face from said recess, whereby when fluid pressure acting through the disk aperture is dominant it will be effective against the whole diameter of the disk to tend to force the disk out of the shell and into sealing contact over the port, and when uid the disk and then tend t0 displace the whole sealing unit from the rotor recess and thereby press said disk into sealing contact over said port, and a compression spring interposed between the shell and disk and constantly tending to seat the shell in the bottom of the rotor recess and to force the disk out of the shell.

Y 4. In a valve structure, a casing structure having a ilow passage therethrough including a port, a rotor having a portion placeable oversaid port for closing the same, said portion having a sealing unit receiving recess and a pressure aperture4 communicating with vthe bottom of the recess, and a sealing unit removably and replaceably mounted in said recess and comprising a cup-like imperforate thin metal shell shallower than the depth of the recess, a sealing disk slidably mounted in the shell and of a thickness slightly less than the distance of the bottom of the shell fromthe outer extremity of the recess and having a pressure chamber forming recess in its inner facev and an aperture extending through its outer face from said recess, whereby when fluid pressure acting through the disk aperture is dominant it will be eilective against the whole diameter of the disk to tend to force thetdiskout of the shell and into sealing contact over the port, and when fluid pressure acting' through the rotor aperture is dominant it will be effective against the bottom of the shell\to rst press the shell against the disk and then tend to displace the whole sealing l unit from the rotor recess and thereby press said pressure acting through the rotor aperture is dominant it will be eiective against the bottom of the shell toirst press the shell against the disk into sealing contact over said port, said sealingdisk having an annular peripheral recess ropposed to the inner wall of the shell, and a packing ring in said annular recess and forming a :liuid seal between the disk and the opposed shell wall. t

3. In a valve structure, a casing structure having a flow passage therethrough including a port, a rotor having a portion placeable over said port for closing the same, said portion having a sealing unit receiving recess. and a pressure aperture communicating with the bottom of the recess, and a sealing unit removably and replaceably mounted in` said recess and comprising a cuplike imperforate thin metal shell shallower than the depth of the recess, a sealing disk slidably mounted in the shell and of a thickness slightly less than the distance of the bottom of the shell from disk into sealing contact over said port, a compression spring interposed between the shell and disk and constantly tending to seat the shell in the bottom of the rotor recess and to force the disk out of the shell, said sealing disk having an annular peripheral recess opposed to the inner wall of the shell, and a, packing ring in said annular recess and forming a uid vseal between the disk and the opposed shell wall. n

5. A valve port sealing unit comprising a cuplike imperforate thin metal shell, a sealing disk slidably mounted in the shell and projecting from the open end thereof and having a pressure chamber forming recess in its inner face and an aperture extending through its outer face from said recess, a compression spring interposed between' .atively movable members telescoped one within the other and forming a pressure chamber there between, one of said members being a sealing disc having an aperture extending through its outer face from said pressure chamber, a `compression sprlng interposed between the members and constantly tending to force them apart, said members also being cooperatively shaped `tode f ne between them an annular packing recess, and a packing ring in said annular recess and form-A ing a fluid seal between the members.

7. In a valve structure, a casing structure having a flow passage therethrough including a port, a rotor having a portion placeable over said port for closing the same, said portion having a sealing unit receiving recess and means affording communication of nuid pressure with the bottom of the recess, and a sealing unit mounted in said recess and-comprising two relatively movable teletom of the shell to first press the shell against 7B scoped members the combined thicknesses of which are less than the distance fram the bottom of the recess to the valve port so that said members can be spaced apart in said recess to admit iiuid between them, one of said members having an aperture extending therethrough communicating with the port whereby when fluid pressure acting through the aperture in said apertured member is dominant it will be effective between said members and against said apertured member to tend to force said apertured member 10 out of the recess and sealing contact over sealing contact over'said port.

DONALD A. STARK. 

